Scott Milne hints at an actual policy position

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So, Our Man Mahatma was up in Newport on Wednesday, hangin’ out at the Agway and talkin’ politics with the folks. And there to capture the excitement was a camera from the Newport Dispatch, an online-only news website.

Simple, short video, a few Q&A’s; one of which concerned rising property taxes. And while Milne did not take an actual position, he did hint at the vague outlines of a position. Which, for him, constitutes news. Take it away, Mahatma:

“I think there’s a need to rapidly address a solution for not having taxes increase any more while we figure out how to restructure things. That’s gonna be one of the fundamental principles of our campaign, something we’ll be talking a lot more about over the next two weeks. So I’d ask you to stay tuned. You’ll be happy with what we’re going to be talking about.”

Sounds like he’d call for a freeze on property taxes while he and the Legislature work out a longer-term solution. It sounds unworkable to me; there’d be a pretty rough immediate impact on school budgets and the transfer payments needed to ensure equal funding across the state. But hey, it’s an idea from Scott Milne. And that’s news.

But then he kinda blows it by promising an actual policy in “the next two weeks.”

Oh, c’mon now. When he outlined his two-stage campaign — attack Shumlin in August, unroll his positions in September — it seemed way too late to introduce a Milne Plan to the voters. Now he’s promising a Plan by the end of the month. Only a few weeks before the election.

Meanwhile, Milne continues to cede the conservative spotlight to Libertarian Dan Feliciano, who once again held a news conference yesterday where he once again got more attention than he deserves. The funny thing is, Feliciano pulled a Milne: he criticized Shumlin on state spending, but refused to say how he’d cut the budget.

Scott Milne has allowed Dan Feliciano to become a big problem. Not as a viable contender, but as a third “real” candidate in the race, likely to be included in gubernatorial debates.

If those debates were simply Milne vs. Shumlin, then Milne would have room to attack and establish his own positions. With Feliciano sharing the stage, there’ll be a lot less room to maneuver. Milne will be the Man In The Middle, and he’ll almost certainly look wishy-washy by contrast to the tight-fisted Feliciano and the self-proclaimed “progressive” Shumlin. He’d have to be a very strong, forceful presence to stand out in that situation. And to date, Milne has shown no ability whatsoever to be strong or forceful.

Bunched knickers at the Freeploid

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The Burlington Free Press’ Mike Donoghue is shocked, shocked, that someone would dare steal his scoop.

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Donoghue is referring to his excellent story on the Louis Freeh accident, in which he broke the news that an eyewitness saw Freeh’s vehicle force three other drivers to swerve out of his way. Which raises the question, why isn’t Freeh facing any charges for reckless driving or endangerment or some such?

And how Mike’s knickers are in a twist because Channel 3 poached his story.

I feel his pain.

As does every non-Gannett journalist in Vermont, who would tell you that the Burlington Free Press is the number-one violator of this ethical principle. The Freeploid likes to pretend, in fact, that it is the only journalistic outlet in the state. It is very quick to grab credit for its own “gets,” and extremely — extremely — reluctant to grant the same credit to others.

Let’s just take one recent example. Terri Hallenbeck, reporting on Governor Shumlin’s campaign launch: 

According to the governor’s office, Shumlin has spent 141½ days in the past two years outside of Vermont, which includes 54 personal days off and 35 days on business for the Democratic Governors Association, of which Shumlin is chairman.

“According to the governor’s office,” my ass. That story came straight out of Paul “The Huntsman” Heintz’ column in Seven Days. Which was entitled “On the Road Again: Shumlin’s 141.5 Days Outside Vermont.”

So, rather than give proper credit to Heintz and Seven Days, Hallenbeck called the governor’s office for confirmation. Which gave her an excuse to avoid giving credit where credit is due. Well, to be fair to Hallenbeck, I suspect that her editors made her do it.

In any case, I say anyone at the Burlington Free Press who whines about story-poaching needs to look in the goddamn mirror.

Mahatma Milne Reveals Himself

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Aww, sheeeeit. 

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The above quote is from Milne’s interview today on VPR’s Vermont Edition. 

Where do you start? 

I’d say “self-absorbed, egotistical, and deluded,” but I suspect the real answer is “clueless and maladroit.” In his very brief time in the spotlight, Scott MIlne has already established a reputation for verbal blunders, malapropisms, abrupt changes of subject, and a weird combination of aggression and passivity. (Example: On the one hand, excoriating Vermont Health Connect as radical experimentation; on the other, refusing to rule out the even more progressive single-payer system.) 

When he wasn’t elevating himself to the highest ranks of humanity, Milne spent a lot of time failing to define himself or his candidacy, per VPR’s Jane Lindholm: 

 “I’m not talking about what my plan is today,” he said. “I’ll be very clear, and I’ve been very consistent from the beginning, that what we need is a health care system that offers access to everybody.”

Milne is short on details on other issues as well. He believes that property taxes are too high and getting higher in many towns around the state. He said we need to reform our education system to keep costs down. When questioned on Vermont Edition, Milne backed away from a prescription for a fix. 

… “Stay tuned,” he said.

C’mon now, Mahatma. It may go against every fiber of your pacifist, meat-eschewing self, but sometime, someday, you do have to start revealing policies of your own.

Back in late July, Milne laid out a two-part strategy: August was for criticizing Governor Shumlin’s record, and September was for his own policy rollout. 

Hey, Mahatma: September began a week and a half ago. Time to shit or get off the pot.

Phil Scott, chicken

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Buck-buck-bacawwwww!

Our Lieutenant Governor, who isn’t afraid to steer a race car around a dirt track, is apparently ascairt of little ol’ Dean Corren, his P/D challenger. 

Corren had called for a series of ten debates. Scott’s answer? 

Four. 

Predictable but disappointing. Usually, a light schedule of debates would be okay in the race for Lieutenant Governor. But this year, when the gubernatorial race is effectively over and Scott is supposedly the spearhead of The New VTGOP, this particular campaign has taken on added importance. 

The Scott camp had some weasel words at the ready: 

Scott’s campaign manager, Rep. Patti Komline, R-Dorset, said the three-term incumbent lieutenant governor would rather travel the state listening to voters than champion his own views in exchanges with Corren.

Aww, fucknuts. The voters are being asked to elect Phil Scott to a high office. They don’t need him to tilt his head and nod sagely; they need to know where he, the actual candidate, stands on the issues. Of course he should be listening, as should any politico worth their salt. But the time for listening is the rest of the two-year cycle. Now, in the final eight weeks of campaign season, is the time when you define yourself so the voters can make an informed choice. 

You do want voters to make an informed choice, don’t you? Well, maybe not. 

Corren saw through the bullcrap: 

“It’s a tried-and-true method for the incumbent to avoid debates and attempt to skate in under the radar.”

Yup. And especially true for an incumbent whose entire stock-in-trade is foggy blandness. 

Another thing. Of the four scheduled debates, three are in the state’s northwest quadrant — two in Burlington, one tentatively in Johnson, and one at the Tunbridge Fair, this Friday at 9 on WDEV’s Mark Johnson Show.  Nothing in the southern half of the state. Nothing in the Northeast Kingdom.

Phil Scott, Man Of The People, is hiding behind a faulty fig leaf of an excuse, and minimizing the chances that The People will actually learn where he stands on the issues. 

Phil Scott, chicken. 

What the Governor needs to do

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Finally, Governor Shumlin has begun campaigning for re-election. For those of us who’ve yearned for the relative brevity of a parliamentary-style campaign, the Governor has delivered the closest thing we’re going to get. 

Given the state of the opposition, this should be more victory lap than competitive contest. But still, there’s a lot he needs to accomplish in order to set the stage for a productive third term. Here’s my short (and probably incomplete) wish list. 

— If he really wants single-payer, this is a crucial election. He’ll need to show skeptical Democrats that he still enjoys broad public support. The bigger his margin of victory, the more agreeable the Legislature will be in 2015. 

— He also needs to stump hard in marginal constituencies and elect as many pro-reform lawmakers as possible. That includes money: he has more than enough, not only to fight this election but for a solid foundation for 2016. He should tell some of his deep-pocketed supporters to give to House and Senate campaigns. Or make some donations himself. 

— He should have a very clear explanation for the failures of Vermont Health Connect and the slowness of his Administration’s response. Honesty is better than defensiveness, even if it hurts. And as I’ve written earlier, he might need to fire some folks to show he’s unhappy with the results so far. 

— He also needs to own up to other Administration failures and explain how things will be different next time around. Again, honesty and engagement are key.Maze_Finish

— He should present a convincing case that single-payer would be simpler than Obamacare, which was a cobbled-together compromise package. (Accompanying cartoon by Jason Yungbluth, provided to theVPO by the estimable Dr. Deb Richter.) 

— He should get strongly behind Dean Corren’s bid for Lieutenant Governort, including a lot of joint appearances. And he should urge the Democratic Party to do whatever it can to help Corren. A vote on single-payer in the Senate may well come down to a tiebreaking vote from the presiding officer. If you favor single-payer, do you want that vote cast by Phil Scott or Dean Corren?

— Turning, finally, from health care reform, the Governor needs to present ideas and show he has the energy to tackle other issues that are actually more pressing in the minds of voters: economic growth, school governance and taxation, and the general tax burden. 

— In gubernatorial debates, he needs to press Scott Milne (and Dan Feliciano, when he’s on hand) on the issues. He shouldn’t try to float above the fray, as if his opponents don’t matter. This is not so much for his own benefit, as for the cause of liberalism. He needs to remind people why they should vote for Democrats and Progressives. Too often, he has invoked conservative talking points to justify his moves to the center. He needs to cut that out. 

I think that covers it. I don’t want to see any prevent defense, and I don’t want even a hint of lofty entitlement. No taking the voters for granted. I want a strong, cogent, and relatable message that upholds the principles of modern liberalism and addresses the needs of Vermonters.

Rank hath its privileges

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Well, well. Looks llike there was more to the story of Louis Freeh’s car wreck than we were led to believe. 

The former FBI director was driving on state Route 12 in Barnard on August 25 when his vehicle left the road and smashed into a tree and some shrubs. It’s assumed that he fell asleep at the wheel. State police had said they would not seek charges nor even write a ticket. But look what the Burlington Free Press’ Mike Donoghue dug up: 

An out-of-control SUV driven by former FBI Director Louis Freeh almost struck head-on three motorists, who were forced to take evasive action to avoid crashing in southern Vermont, according to one of the drivers.

The driver, Van Coleman, gave a written statement to a Windsor County deputy sheriff, who was the first police officer on the scene of the Aug. 25 crash of Freeh’s vehicle. Deputy Sheriff Justin Hoyt said he gave the eyewitness report to state police. 

Donoghue reports that a motorcycle and two cars were forced to “swerve into the left lane when Freeh’s vehicle crossed the center line… and headed at the trio at a high rate of speed.” The witness, Coleman estimated that Freeh was doing at least ten MPH over the speed limit. 

Apparently, Coleman’s account failed to make it up the chain of command. VSP spokesperson Stephanie Dasaro, who issued three news releases that didn’t mention the close calls, said “I did not have that level of detail.” And Public Safety Commissioner told Donoghue “This is the first I have heard about that.” 

Flynn added that he “would ask for an explanation.” 

He’d better. This smells as bad as a week-old fish. If Freeh is not charged or ticketed, the State Police needs to provide a solid, thorough, convincing explanation. Otherwise it’ll look like the Good Old Boys’ Network got the better of justice.

The only thing Vermont Gas has to fear is Vermont Gas itself

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Our friends at Vermont Gas have been their own worst enemies when it comes to the proposed natural-gas pipeline near the state’s western border. Worse than the environmental groups opposing the pipeline. Worse than the small number of landowners resisting the project. Worse even than the Yippie-style provocateurs at Rising Tide, with their sometimes amusing, sometimes alarming tactics. 

In spite of the opposition, the pipeline would be sailing through to full approval if it wasn’t for Vermont Gas repeatedly shooting itself in the foot. The company has been overly aggressive with landowners, overly sensitive with protesters, and really clumsy when it comes to state regulators who would be happy to approve the project if only Vermont Gas could get its shit together. 

Vermont Gas is clearly the front-runner for Worst Public Relations of the Year. For a brief moment it looked like Burlington College would give VG a run for its money, but after a weekend of utter confusion around the kinda-maybe resignation of its president, BC righted the ship. At least for now. VG’s efforts have been consistently inept throughout the process. Its tone-deafk spokesman, Steve Wark, should be fired or moved to a back-office job. And whoever’s managing VG’s public relations (Jason Gibbs, I hear) seems to be committing professoinal malpractice on an unforgivable scale. 

The latest development came late last week, when the Public Service Board announced it would look into reopening the case because of VG’s 40% higher cost estimate. That revision was, obviously, a huge black mark on VG’s reliability. And it rightly calls into question the project’s feasibility, since its biggest selling point is cheaper fuel. And now, even while the PSB is pondering whether to reopen the process, VG says it’s proceeding with the eminent domain process with recalcitrant property owners. 

Whoa there, big fella. Take a breath. 

Vermont Gas’ top priority right now should be regaining the trust of the public and regulators. Seizing land and digging trenches should be secondary right now. If VG can show it’s acting in good faith, its problems will be minimized. 

The PSB and the Shumlin Administration are favorably disposed toward the project. (As are the vast majority of residents in the affected area.) Last week, Governor Shumlin asked the Public Service Department to hire an independent property appraiser to take part in any eminent domain proceedings that might occur. At first glance, he seemed to be drawing a line in the sand. But when you look more closely, he was providing Vermont Gas with a roadmap to approval. 

Shumlin said he would “leave it to the lawyers to determine this issue,” but said the constitution protects private property owners from land use “without just compensation.” 

… He said property should be used “hopefully by agreement, but if necessary, eminent domain.” 

Which is another way of saying, “Hey, Vermont Gas, stop pooping the bed and you’ll get your pipeline.” 

I’m not particularly exercised over the proposed pipeline. The furor over the notion of our state being tainted by “fracked gas” seems overblown to me. We face much direr environmental issues. But Vermonters tend to get especially upset over new stuff coming from the outside — while there’s sadly little furor over the bad things we’ve been doing all along. 

Such as the persistent fouling of Lake Champlain. And our often inadequate wastewater infrastructure. And our highest-in-the-nation rate of adult asthma, mainly a result of woodstoves. 

But my feelings are beside the point. The point is, the only entity that can defeat the Vermont Gas pipeline is Vermont Gas.

Stupid Twitter tricks

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The Man Who Couldn’t Beat Scott Milne, libertarian Dan Feliciano, self-proclaimed “social media sensation,” has been festooning many of his recent Tweets with the hashtag “#Felicianomentum.” Like so: 

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Sigh. This is what happens when a bean-counter tries to get jiggy.

What’s wrong with “Felicianomentum,” you ask? Well, three things.

First, the best Twitter hashtags are catchy, easily remembered. This is the opposite of catchy. It’s a tongue-twister.   

Second, you can’t spell “Felicianomentum” without “nomentum.” 

And third, get a good dictionary and look up the word “omentum.” 

This hashtag sounds like it came from the fervid imagination that gave Randy Brock the idea to call Governor Shumlin’s health care reform effort “Titanicare.” (Which rebounded against him when his campaign came a cropper and became known as the Titanicampaign.) The owner of that imagination is, I suspect, one Darcie Johnston, former Republican operative and now Dan Feliciano’s number one fan, God help him. 

Anyway, yeah, Felicianomentum. Good luck with that. 

Phil Scott, passive aggressive master of specificity avoidance

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VPR’s Peter Hirschfeld has produced a report on the race for Lieutenant Governor, which began with the existential question, If Dean Corren falls in the forest, would anybody hear? 

…does Corren think average Vermonters know who he is?

  “I don’t know,” Corren said Monday.

Gotta commend the honesty. Corren portrays himself as an issues candidate, while incumbent Phil Scott, the only Republican in statewide office, sees himself as both a facilitator and a roadblock: 

“There are a lot things in play right now that need to be addressed,” Scott said Monday. “And we need to be at the forefront in order to help move that forward, or stop them, one of the two.”

Phil Scott. Something for everyone. And no specifics for anyone. 

The meat of Hirschfeld’s report is about the looming Debate On Debates. Corren has called for at least ten debates. Scott isn’t committing to a number, but it’s not likely to hit double digits. 

“I certainly don’t believe that we need a dozen debates, but I do want to get enough opportunity for Vermonters to re-identify with me and show the differences between myself and my opponent,” Scott said.

Way to subtly exaggerate Corren’s position, you sly old shitweasel. 

We’ll soon find out whether Phil Scott has reason to fear the exposure of an active debate schedule. He and Corren will face off for the first time Friday morning at 9 on WDEV Radio’s Mark Johnson Show*. Should be a fun time. Corren can be a bit pedantic, but he’ll have the chance to put Scott’s feet to the fire, maybe force him to articulate an actual position or two, and test Scott’s ability to maintain an inoffensive image under direct assault.

*For those outside of WDEV’s impressive range, Mark’s show is live streamed on the station website. He also posts audio of selected shows in podcast form on his own website, and is virtually certain to post the debate. 

I guess we don’t have to worry about Rick Perry becoming President

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In my previous recitation of Corry Bliss’ stunningly unsuccessful career as a campaign operative, I somehow missed a big one. Dingbat Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose 2012 Presidential campaign splattered on the rocks of his own ineptitude, has set up a political action committee, the catchily-monickered RickPAC, to “help fund candidates who agree with the governor’s priorities,” according to RickPAC spokesman Mark Miner. 

And guess who’s been hired on at RickPAC? 

The treasurer of RickPAC, Stefan Passantino, is the head of the political law section of the Washington law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge. He is also a longtime legal adviser to Newt Gingrich. The assistant treasurer, Corry Bliss, has served in statewide political campaigns in Vermont and Georgia, and his aggressive, bare-knuckled political style has been compared to Karl Rove.

Corry Freakin’ Bliss. Again. 

Oh. My. God. 

How the hell does Corry “0-7” Bliss keep getting jobs? Doesn’t Rick Perry have enough political baggage left over from 2012 without hiring the Joe Btfsplk of Republican Politics? 

One good thing: with Corry Bliss on board, I believe America is safe from the potential catastrophe of a Rick Perry Presidency.